City striker Steve Howard believes the competition for places up front has stimulated the season so far.

Foxes boss Nigel Pearson has his traditional Howard-Matty Fryatt combo available and can easily spice it up with Paul Gallagher, Martyn Waghorn, Yann Kermorgant and Dany N'Guessan if he wants and Howard said: "There is competition for places, which is good, and that is probably why we are so successful. Everyone is pushing for a place and when you get in you want to keep it."

"In the first half of the season, we have been playing some pretty good stuff, a couple of blips shall we say, but we will take that."

City can consolidate their top six position with a win over Ipswich on Sunday, the visitors now having recovered from their bad start and Howard said: "Hopefully, the match will survive the weather because we are all raring to go."

"Ipswich have started to play now. They were far too good with the players they have got and won't be at the wrong end of the table for long. They have come into a bit of form but as long as we show our own form we should be all right."

"We are still in the play-off spots and hopefully we can stay there."